The greatest recreational resource of the Great Lakes region is just that-the Great Lakes. On a perfect, sunny summer`s day, the desire to hoist sail and quietly escape the hubbub of shore may be undeniable for some.
Alas, unless you know how to sail, it`s easier desired than accomplished. While sailboat chartering on the Great Lakes is growing, most companies specialize in bareboat charters-a boat that you sail yourself. Reputable charter companies won`t rent sailboats, other than small dinghies, to people who can`t provide proof of a certain level of sailing ability.
”If you were to take the boat on a bareboat basis, I would ask that the person who is going to be acting as captain of the charter fill out a sailing resume,” said Mary Gingrich, of Bay Breeze Yacht Charters in Traverse City, Mich. That resume includes references and details of sailing experience.
Captained boats common
Slowly, however, charter companies are trying to meet demand from non-sailors. Especially in popular resort areas, such as Wisconsin`s Door County or Michigan`s Traverse City, captained sailboats are becoming more common. In many cases, however, these boats are available only for short trips, usually a day or less.
For example, a spot check of Door County marinas turned up more than half a dozen opportunities to rent a sailboat complete with captain. Only one, Sailboats Inc. in Sturgeon Bay, offered charters of longer than one day. Most offered only scheduled trips that you might end up sharing with strangers.
That shouldn`t discourage vacationers, however. A two-hour trip on a swift catamaran or a 1946 wooden boat might be just the thing to encourage you to take a few sailing lessons and take a bareboat charter another time.
And lessons and non-captained boats abound everywhere around Lake Michigan. Virtually every pier or marina that boasts a charter operation also has instructors available, many of them for one-on-one lessons. And where there are lessons there almost always are boats available for rental without captains. In many cases, these are small boats that won`t intimidate even the most dedicated landlubber after a brief lesson.
Some charters have sailing instruction as part of the package; others make it available for an extra fee.
Hiring a `captain-instructor`
Anyone chartering a boat from one of Sailboats Inc.`s six locations on Lakes Michigan, Superior and St. Clair, for example, will be hiring a
”captain-instructor.” For $150 a day, the captain-instruction will skipper the sailboat and teach the renters how to use it. When they and the skipper are convinced the renters can handle the boat alone, the captain-instructor will leave. The renters can continue on alone if they wish, or be eligible to charter next time without hiring a captain.
More typical is John Lison, who skippers the 24-foot sailboat Bella out of Ephraim, Wis. Customers pay only for a captained ride of Green Bay waters, but he`ll show anyone who is interested how to operate the boat.
At Bay Breeze, chartering a 27-foot S2 sailboat for a week will cost $1,150, plus another $125 a day for the captain. But for only $200 more, the captain will give you sailing lessons during that week.
”We are an American Sailing Association affiliate, and we offer a full gamut of lessons from beginner to bareboat certification,” Gingrich said. After the week-long cruise, a charter customer should be able to be certified as a skipper, she said.
”What these courses do is to enable you to charter in another area without having to hire a captain.”
Another option is a windjammer, popular in the Caribbean but uncommon in the Great Lakes. These are cruises with a captain and crew in which paying customers are encouraged, but not required, to pitch in and help-and learn to sail in the process.
Traverse Tall Ship Co. offers a windjammer aboard the 114-foot two-masted schooner Manitou out of Northport, Mich., on 3- and 6-day trips around the northern portions of Lakes Michigan and Huron. (See the cover story in today`s Travel section.) The ship visits coastal islands, including Beaver Island, Mackinac Island and the Manitou chain and provides such amenities as sailboards, dinghies and even a hiking guide.
The Manitou has 12 staterooms and can accommodate 24 passengers at a time.
One reason non-sailors may find it difficult to charter a boat with captain is simply a shortage of available sailboats in some areas, said John Damstra, of Macatawa Charters on Lake Macatawa near Holland, Mich. The 1986 tax law greatly diminished benefits of buying a boat, then putting it into charter service, he said.
Macatawa Charters is down to two boats, and they`re almost fully booked with bareboat customers, he said.
Tips from charter companies
Here are some tips from charter companies:
If you want to charter a boat with a captain, particularly for more than half a day, make a reservation. Weekends tend to be booked well in advance. On the other hand, every company said you`ve nothing to lose by making an impulse call.
”If we`ve got a boat available, we`ll put you on it,” one charter service said.
The more tourism in the area, the greater the chance a charter company has enough boats and captains to handle demand.
Charter companies generally charge by the boat, not by the number of people. But check for any limits: Even for a two-hour day-sail, some charter companies limit the number of people they`ll allow aboard. For overnight charters, the number is dictated by the sleeping space.
Food usually is not part of the package, but most charter companies will provide it-if you ask in advance. Specify the kind of food and your budget, and don`t forget you`re responsible for feeding the captain.
If you want alcoholic beverages, inquire if alcohol is allowed before you bring it. If you bring snacks and soda for a day-sail, make sure there`s some for the captain.
Ask if there are any rules. White Bay Charters doesn`t allow smoking or pets on board. In Traverse City, Esperance Inc. discourages customers from including children in its seven-course Gourmet Sailing Experience.
Ask what you need to bring. Will the charter service provide foul-weather gear-an item non-sailors are unlikely to own. Is there a limit on luggage
(other than common sense)? Some boat owners limit the kinds of shoes allowed on board.
For those who`d like to try the sailing lifestyle without the sailing, there`s yet a new wrinkle in chartering: the B&B.
For $70, a couple can take a 2 1/2-hour sunset cruise aboard the Tall Ship Malabar, a 105-foot schooner in Traverse City. But for $148, that couple can take the sunset cruise, then spend the night in one of the ship`s eight cabins, and get a full breakfast in the morning.
For $75 a couple, White Bay Charters invites you aboard a sailboat for the night and provides a continental breakfast-complete with ”a special breakfast cookie”-in the morning, said Kathy Kyburz, general manager, said.
”It`s becoming more and more popular because people are so busy they don`t have time to do a full cruise, but they still want to get on board a boat to check it out,” Kyburz said.
